Assessment Profile

• Computer calculations/problem sets: financial and statistical
• Calculations/problem sets: mathematical

• Multiple choice questions (MCQ)
• Moodle quiz
• Short answer questions

• Debate
• Moot
• Poster
• Presentation
• Role play (simulation)

• Abstract (including summary, précis)
• Annotated bibliography
• Article (news/press release)
• Cases (including case studies, case notes, case analysis)
• Dissertation
• Essay
• Extended essay
• Log book
• Portfolio
• Proposal
• Written Problems including argument
• Reflective writing
• Report
• Research article (Journal paper)
• Review (including literature review, critical analysis, analytic notes)
• Written argument/response

A new headline category of 'In-course Tests' was approved by Learning and Teaching Board in January 2016 (LTB Paper 2016/08 [1]). The implications for Schools are set out at the In-Course Test page.

Formerly, In class assessments (or in class tests) were classed as 'coursework' rather than 'exam'. Because of concerns about the security of assessment, managing ILPs and to improve clarity and transparency of information to students, the new definition has been approved and will apply to assessments previously classed as ICAs. See the In-Course Test page for information.

Group work is often used to develop student skills in working together, and responsibility to others. It may also be used to reduce workload for both staff and students. However, for group work to be most effective in developing student skills, explicit teaching is recommended in the same way that other assessment types are introduced and developed throughout the levels of a programme. For information on assessment types and groupwork, see the appropriate listing in the Assessment Profile. See below for resources on teaching group work:

• Learnhigher CETL resource on group work - For teaching group work including downloadable resources and the award winning video resource 'Making group-work work' outlining the challenges of participating in group work (with a mobile version). This resource consists of 10 professionally produced vignettes to highlight different aspects of teaching and assessing students working in groups.
• Top 10 tips on Self, Peer and Group Assessment.

Assessment at Kent is categorised under four headlines for data management purposes: Exam, In-Course Test, Coursework and Project. As a category, the term is appropriate. However, the term 'Project' as a form of assessment type to be communicated to students is unclear.

A 'project' assessment type is usually a form of in-depth study used at Levels 6 or 7 to assess a student's research ability, detailed knowledge, and understanding of a particular topic, task or activity. As such, a 'project' may incorporate a number of distinct assessed elements and formats may vary widely. The term 'project' when applied to assessment within a module is imprecise, leaving the exact form of assessment unclear.

When designing an assessment which may fall under the headline of 'project', determine the actual assessment format and the individual elements to be assessed and label them appropriately in the interest of transparency and clarity of information for students.

The wordcount of written coursework submission includes the words in the body of the text (see below) and does not include the title, bibliography, references or appendices (see below).

Section 6.2 of the Academic Regulations for Taught Programmes of Study:
'Students are required to state the total word count of written coursework submissions. The word count will include everything in the body of the text, such as quotations, citations, footnotes and subheadings. It does not include the coursework title, bibliography, references, appendices or other supplementary material, which does not form an essential part of the text (see Note 1). Unless stated otherwise, there is an allowance of 10% deviation over the stated maximum word count.
Note 1: ‘Footnotes’ encompasses additional explanatory text included at the bottom of a page to amplify specific sections of text in the main body of the work. ‘References’ indicates the systematic referencing of the sources used by the text author, according to the Harvard (or other) system employed by the School'.